cg-traduction-interpretation-blog

Automatic translation: Schubert’s "Quintet for pianos and French sticks" and other translation boo-boos...

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 09:09:00 GMT

During a France Culture programme broadcast on 12 January 2012, the witty radio presenter Philippe Meyer spoke about an all-too-common event for anyone with an inbox: reading spam. While the dozen spam e-mails we may receive on a daily basis find their way - somewhat automatically - into the trash, it can be quite amusing to skim through them once in a while.

Meyer did just that. He was fascinated by what he refers to as an "American" message, which praised the merits of cosmetic products with rejuvenating qualities. In addition to the e-mail's relatively approximate targeted marketing, Meyer found his attention being drawn to its content.

"Lorsque les personnes accèdent à certain âge, ils réalisent que le procès de vieillir est rampant sur eux" (back translation: "when people access a certain age, they realise that the legal proceedings are grovelling to them"). Meyer read out this fine specimen of an e-mail which had obviously been literally translated from English into French by a piece of translation software.

Automatic translation software, which translates word-for-word, fails to distinguish the primary meaning of a word and cannot restructure sentences. Meyer referred to such devices as "computer-assisted unintelligibility" tools, which can, albeit unsurprisingly, result in complete gobbledygook and tarnish the image of companies who do not care about the quality of their messages.

Meyer quoted another rather funny translation taken from a multi-national online music store. The English website sells Schubert's "Quintet for Pianos and Strings", which most French people know as "Quintet pour pianos et cordes". However, on the French page of the website, you can buy Schubert's "Quintet pour pianos et ficelles" (back translation: "Quintet for pianos and lengths of string" or - better still - "Quintet for pianos and French sticks"). It is quite safe to assume that Schubert did not use instruments made from freshly baked French bread...

While automatic translation programmes can be used to help understand the overall meaning of a text or paragraph, they're quite yet up to replacing the "specialist human beings" referred to by Meyer. In reality, automatic translation and professional translation are not in any way in competition, since they are used for entirely different purposes.

CG Traduction & Interprétation is a professional translation company which understands how important high-quality translation is for your company's image and the messages you want to deliver, in a variety of languages. Professional translators at CG Traduction & Interprétation have a full command of the languages they work with and boast in-depth knowledge of your area of expertise (technical, legal, medical, etc.). : Please do not hesitate to contact our team of professional translators for all your needs!

What career opportunities are available to professional translators and interpreters?

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:24:00 GMT

We recently looked at the various training courses leading to a professional interpreting or translation qualification and we also shed light on the high level of expertise required to work in this profession.

But what career opportunities are open to newly qualified translators and interpreters?

Several options are open to qualified translators such as:
- becoming a freelance translator and work on one-off projects for translation companies such as CG Traduction & Interprétation. Do bear in mind, though, that starting out with a relatively limited network and experience is not always easy, especially if you lack the references.
- joining a company as a salaried translator. However, the translations (technical, legal, medical, etc.) can lack variety, which, as some might argue, undermines what makes being a translator so interesting.
- taking up a general position in a company and be involved in occasional translation projects: executive assistant, international project manager, etc.

- joining a translation company to take up the position of translation project manager or in-house translator.

As far as interpreters are concerned, freelance work is the popular choice. While major international bodies such as the UN have permanent in-house translators, most other bodies such as the French Foreign Office work with a network of freelance interpreters.

Be that as it may, companies and organisations other than transnational bodies, tend to rely on interpreting companies for all their interpreting projects.You may well remember that for the summit in Cannes in early November, the MEDEF, which was directly involved in the selection process of interpreters for the B20, entrusted CG Traduction & Interprétation with the recruitment of conference interpreters in five languages.

While there is a strong demand for translation and interpreting in an increasingly globalised economy, becoming part of a dynamic organisation with a wide range of projects may prove challenging for newly qualified translators and interpreters.

Committed to providing a world-class service, CG Traduction & Interprétation is always seeking translators (corporate, scientific, legal, technical) and/or interpreters (consecutive, liaison, simultaneous) in all language pairs.To work as a translator or interpreter you need to boast a significant amount of expertise, be enthusiastic about your work and the profession and keep to your commitments. If you think you have what it takes, do not hesitate to send your application to CG Traduction & Interprétation!

A behind-the-scenes look at interpreting at the G20 Summit in Cannes

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:41:00 GMT

As you may already be aware professional interpreters, some of whom work for CG Traduction & Interprétation, recently interpreted at the G20 Summit. CG Traduction & Interprétation, along with its professional interpreters, provided all interpreting services at the B20 Summit, which took place at the same time as the G20 Summit in Cannes in early November.

This major political event with an international scope provided an opportunity to get to the crux of the dire economic situation at European and international level. The discussions between the various speakers were very thought provoking and the professional interpreters' hard work was pivotal in ensuring the smooth running of this event.

The French Foreign Office was directly involved in the selection process of conference interpreters for the G20 Summit. Some Asian interpreters who work with CG Traduction & Interprétation were selected on account of their linguistic and technical expertise of the topics covered.

For those of you who are curious about interpreting and wonder who the interpreters are and how they work in the context of a summit bringing together world leaders, watch the this behind-the-scenes video at the G20 Summit.

Road safety awards ceremony

Would you like to work with CG Traduction & Interprétation's professional interpreters and translators? Contact our Interpreting Project Manager, who will pinpoint your needs to ensure the smooth running of your event.

Becoming a professional translator or interpreter

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:00:00 GMT

Becoming a professional translator or interpreter is no easy matter. Being a translator requires much more than being fluent in a foreign language – it is a highly demanding profession.

Translators and interpreters need to have a full command of both source and target languages. While a flair for language and good speaking skills (interpreting) are key, it is also crucial for translators and interpreters to understand what they translate. Above and beyond language, translators need to be fully acquainted with the technical aspects of the subject matter they are working on.

Translators need to have an in-depth understanding of the language and subject matter to convey the source text or speech as faithfully as possible into the target language, regardless of whether they are translating a software instruction manual, a medical conference, a contract or any other legal document

As you may have already guessed, becoming a translator requires experience and, above all, training...

One can become a professional translator via several degree courses. While ESIT (École Supérieure d’Interprètes et de Traducteurs) at the Sorbonne University is the most well-known translation school in France, others such as ISIT (Institut Supérieur de Traduction et d’Interprétation) provide a sound programme and the opportunity to specialise in law (ISIT Droit). The IPLV (Institut de Perfectionnement des Langues Vivantes) in Angers and the École de Genève, the oldest school for training professional translators, also feature amongst the most prestigious institutions.

It takes between 4 and 5 years to obtain most translation and interpreting degrees. However, some become translators and interpreters via other avenues. It is not uncommon to have a technical, legal or scientific background, for instance, before specialising as part of a Master's degree (4 or 5 years of higher education) with a view to becoming a translator or interpreter in a specific field. Such translator and interpreter profiles are much sought-after.

CG Traduction & Interprétation is always looking for qualified, competent professional translators in specific languages and areas of expertise.

As such, CG Traduction & Interprétation has set up a rigorous recruitment process for professional translators and interpreters to meet its customers’ needs and provide them with the highest service quality.

CG Traduction & Interprétation and its teams of qualified translators and interpreters will meet all your translation and interpreting needs. We will provide you with a tailor-made solution and support you throughout your project.

Simultaneous interpreting in 4 languages for the conference “Marine Leisure in the Atlantic Area 2”

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:24:00 GMT

CG Traduction et Interprétation's professional interpreters once again demonstrated their extensive expertise by ensuring simultaneous interpreting in 4 languages (English, French, Spanish and Portuguese) at the conference “Marine Leisure in the Atlantic Area 2”.

On 25 October 2011, Brest played host to the conference “Marine Leisure in the Atlantic Area 2”, coordinated by the Brittany Regional Council. It aimed at bringing together the 11 Atlantic areas of 5 member countries: Ireland, the United Kingdom (Mid-West, South-West, Cornwall, Northern Ireland), France (Basse-Normandie, Brittany and Pays de la Loire regions), Spain (Galicia, Andalusia) and Portugal (North and Centre).

Discussions focused on development avenues for the Atlantic Area and, more specifically, the following 3 themes: "Marine Leisure and Economic Development", "Marine Leisure and Environmental Protection" and "Marine Leisure and Social Cohesion".

While it may come as a surprise, the issues discussed covered much more than just water sports. They included the marine leisure sector economy (competition, business trends and marketing), the Atlantic Area as a driving force for social cohesion (wider access, marine leisure), maritime policy, maritime heritage, maritime facilities and environmental impact). Such a wide range of themes with specialist and technical vocabulary requires expert interpreters and translators.

CG Traduction & Interprétation had previous interpreting experience in this field of expertise. CG Traduction & Interprétation's professional teams of translators and interpreters have already worked for the NWRAC (North Western Waters Regional Advisory Council), which aims to standardise fishing policies in France, the United Kingdom and Spain.

The conference “Marine Leisure in the Atlantic Area 2” was interpreted in 4 languages: French, English, Spanish and Portuguese. CG Traduction & Interprétation's conference interpreters seamlessly interpreted the discussions so that all speakers can fully understand and work towards joint project proposals.

As you may already be aware, CG Traduction & Interprétation opened offices in Brittany back in August. Catherine Granell is very fond of this region, which has many interesting translation and interpreting prospects. Above and beyond the specific languages spoken within institutions such as the Brittany Regional Council (Gallo, Breton), Brittany is home to many specific sectors: maritime, tourism, agriculture, etc.

Whatever your translation needs may be (language pairs, technical nature of subject matter), do not hesitate to contact our Interpreting Department for a tailor-made solution.

Professional interpreting: Japanese, Korean and Chinese interpreters tend to work into English and French!

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:18:00 GMT

CG Traduction & Interprétation are set to provide interpreting services for the next B20 Business Summit in Cannes (France) in November 2011. However, there seems to be a real shortage of professional interpreters for some language pairs such as Japanese - English - French - Spanish.

You have probably already heard of the G20, but what about the B20?

The G20 brings together G8 countries (United States, Japan, Germany, France, United Kingdom, Italy, Canada and Russia), more than ten emerging countries (South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and Turkey) as well as Australia and South Korea.

The B20 Business Summit, which was set up by Laurence Parisot, President of the MEDEF, will meet in early November in the run-up to the G20.

This summit will provide the heads of the business organisations of the G20 countries an opportunity to meet and discuss the issues that are to be dealt with by the Heads of State during the G20 summit. Discussions will focus on the coordination of economic policies, financial regulation, international monetary system reforms, employment, global governance, energy and much more. The B20 will therefore map out a list of specific recommendations for G20 countries.

As a professional interpreting and translation company, CG Traduction & Interprétation will provide the interpreting services – a crucial aspect of this summit. The representatives of the business organisations of the G20 countries will therefore be able to discuss and exchange ideas – free of any language barriers – be they South African, Mexican, French or Chinese.

The summit topics will focus on economic, social, financial and monetary concerns. The interpreters involved in this event will be fully acquainted with this vocabulary so that they can interpret all nuances faithfully.

CG Traduction & Interprétation conference interpreters

Above and beyond the importance of vocabulary, language pairs are also a key factor when it comes to selecting the interpreters involved in such an event.

Be that as it may, there seems to be a real shortage of professional interpreters for some language pairs. For instance, professional interpreters in Japanese, Chinese and Korean, tend to work with English or French - languages that are commonly used in international diplomatic spheres. It is therefore very difficult to find conference interpreters with a full command of Japanese, English, French as well as Spanish, for example. The same can be said for Chinese and Korean liaison interpreters, who tend to work into French and English

Whenever there is a lack of professional interpreters for certain language pairs, interpreters work with a pivot language to render one language into another. As such, to interpret from Japanese into Spanish in a meeting that also requires French and English, we will use a Japanese-English interpreter and an English-Spanish interpreter to ensure that the information provided in Japanese will be translated in Spanish.
The problem with less-common languages such as those from Asia (e.g. only ten or so English-Japanese interpreters in Europe), is that there are very few trilingual interpreters and virtually none of them work into four languages. The same cannot be said for the few interpreters working with European languages, such as English, German, Spanish and Italian.
Whatever the language pairs you require and topics dealt with during your event, contact CG Traduction & Interprétation’s Interpreting Department for a tailor-made solution

e-CNET Trade Show

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:08:00 GMT

e-CNET Trade Show

The inaugural French trade show

for translation professionals and technologies

Friday 30 September 2011, 11pm – 7pm
Hôtel Marriott

70, avenue des Champs-Elysées, Paris (France)

Free admission. Booking required.

Full programme and registration at http://www.cnetfrance.org/agenda.php

Over 15 exhibitors, a networking lunch, round-table discussions, the official launch of CERTITRAD–
the translation quality standard in France – and much more. A unique opportunity

to meet sector professionals, forge links and broaden your knowledge and network!

Important: there are a maximum of 60 places for the networking lunch

CG Traduction & Interprétation in Brittany

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 15:21:00 GMT

CG Traduction & Interprétation has opened offices in Brittany

Does this mean that the French Region of Brittany is a prime venue for international conferences or that there is a greater need for interpreters and translators in this region than elsewhere in France? Of course not. Such an assumption would be unfair towards the other regions in France.

However, Catherine Granell has been both personally and professionally drawn to this region for many years now, prompting the setting up of offices there.

CG Traduction & Interprétation collaborates with the Brittany Region on a regular basis as part of conferences on the environment and new technologies, to name but a few. Manufacturers and corporate players choose this region to host their conferences, so there is a real need for interpreting in English, Russian, Chinese and many other languages. Brittany has forged links with the four corners of the world.

Several publishers in Quimper and Rennes have called on the services of CG Traduction & Interprétation to translate publications in a variety of specialist fields ranging from history of the region to painting.

CG Traduction & Interprétation strives to find the best interpreters and translators with the relevant technical expertise in specific fields and in the languages required.

CG Traduction & Interprétation also works with Breton interpreters and translators, further consolidating its position in Brittany.

Contact CG in Brittany for your international conferences or if you need Gallo or Breton translators and interpreters.

Freelance translators needed

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:03:00 GMT

With a view to meeting our customers’ growing needs, CG Traduction & Interprétation is looking for freelance translators working from French/English into Russian with expertise in the naval and marine sector and who use CAT tools (preferably Déjà Vu).

Please send your CV and contact details to the following e-mail address: stephanie@cgtraduction.fr

No interpreter was needed for the IMF spokesperson

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:00:00 GMT

5 July 2011, Washington: first-ever woman appointed Managing Director of the IMF for a 5-year term.

Ms. Christine Lagarde, shaking hands with Mr. John Lipsky, IMF Deputy Managing Director
© International Monetary Fund

On Tuesday 28 June, the IMF spokesperson did not speak English to announce the appointment of Ms. Lagarde, which would have required an interpreter, but impeccable French.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) works to foster international monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world. Created in 1945, the IMF is governed by and accountable to the 187 countries that make up its near-global membership. IMF financing provides member countries the breathing room they need to correct balance of payment problems. The IMF’s resources are provided by its member countries, primarily through payment of quotas, which broadly reflect each country’s economic size.
The IMF is accountable to the governments of its member countries.

On 5 July Christine Lagarde went down in history as being the first-ever woman to be appointed Managing Director of the IMF,

beating her rival Mr. Augustin Carstens. The 24-member board regarded both candidates as highly qualified for the job, but, after having reviewed all relevant information on both candidates, had decided on Ms. Lagarde "by consensus".

She was appointed Managing Director for a five-year term after a one-month selection process that kicked off on 20 May after Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned.

A lawyer in a business consultancy, Ms. Lagarde worked her way up the ladder throughout her 25-year career. She became a partner in the Paris office of this business consultancy in 1987 and was made managing partner in 1991; she was appointed a member of the global executive committee in Chicago in 1995 and was appointed the very-first chairwoman in 1999 up to 2004.

In 2002, she was voted the fifth most successful business woman in Europe by the Wall Street Journal Europe.

Her appointment as Managing Director of the IMF marks a landmark event in her successful career spanning back to 1981.

She returned to France in 2005 and spent 6 consecutive years in the French government, including 4 years as French Minister of the Economy, Finance and Industry.

In her capacity as minister during the 2008 financial crisis, Ms. Lagarde is well acquainted with the challenges faced by the Eurozone.

With the sovereign debt crisis in Europe unresolved, the outlook looks grim. The spotlight is currently on Greece, where the government is trying to get deputies to adopt a drastic bailout plan to provide the economy with more solid foundations.

While Ms. Lagarde speaks perfect English, summit meetings (IMF, G8, G20) in several languages require conference interpreters boasting excellent general knowledge, expertise in specific fields and an in-depth command of simultaneous interpreting. CG Traduction & Interprétation was selected to provide translation and interpreting services as part of the French Presidency of the European Union in 2008 and the G20 in 2011.

Whether you are part of the IMF (☺), a major institution or the world of sport, regardless of your area of expertise, contact us for all your translation and interpreting needs.

Penultimate Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:27:00 GMT

These four tournaments are the most prestigious and most difficult to win in the Grand Slam. They take place over a two-week period following the qualifying rounds.

The Wimbledon Championships, which was created in 1877, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. Lawn tennis was added to the activities of the private club founded in 1868 called All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club; Gentlemen's singles was introduced in 1877. From a field of 22, Spencer Gore (United Kingdom), aged 27, won the tournament attended by 200 privileged spectators who each paid 1 shilling to watch the final.
Ladies' singles was added in 1884 and was won by Maud Watson (United Kingdom).
It has become famous on account of its location, unique surface and traditions:

Male and female players are required to adhere to a strict, all-white dress code.
Players are not seeded according to their world ranking, rather the members of the All England Club seed the players, depending on their results and their personality. This tradition is often challenged.
Trophies are always awarded by the Duke and Duchess of Kent. No cheques are awarded in front of spectators.
The winner of the previous year always opens the tournament on No. 1 court at 2pm.
The grounds at Wimbledon are free of advertising.
Winners are given life membership to the All England Club
During the final, male and female players may use a helper to carry all their things on court.

With 128 players in 2011, crowd numbers are higher than in 2010, reaching 489,946 people for the final.
The world's greatest players attend all Grand Slam tournaments. None of them miss this third major tournament of the year. As is the case for most tournaments, ardent tennis fans can follow all the matches broadcast on television, radio and other media.
You can sit back in the comfort of your own home to watch the day's match highlights, or a press conference with one of your favourite players. If you are Spanish and you do not understand English how can you understand what is being broadcast? Through interpreting. But who can ensure this tricky task? Interpreters can.
CG Traduction & Interprétation interpreters can provide a seamless link in press rooms. In such situations, interpreters need to be fully acquainted with the world of tennis and capable of adapting their vocabulary to render each player's way of speaking, feelings and personality. Ultimately, all this work will be used by journalists reporting on the tournament: a Spaniard will not talk about the tournament with the same feelings as an Englishman or a Frenchman... The next time you watch a match or hear your favourite player speak, spare a thought for the person who, behind the scenes, is working hard to interpret what is being said!

Languages in Europe and the role of French in the European Union.

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:45:00 GMT

On 9 May 1950, Robert Schuman announced his plan for the creation of an organised Europe to maintain peaceful relations between Member States in the wake of the Second World War.

Since then, 9 May has become the symbol of the European Union; a day to celebrate its flag, anthem, motto ("Unity in Diversity") and single currency.

Since 1950, Europe has changed considerably, become more structured and enlarged. It currently includes 27 Member States with a population of 495 million people.

From a linguistic point of view, 23 official languages are spoken in Europe: Bulgarian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish and Swedish.

There are two main entitlements for languages with “official and working” status:

"documents may be sent to EU institutions and a reply received in any of these languages;
EU regulations and other legislative documents are published in the official and working languages, as is the Official Journal."

Source: European Commission - Languages

German is the most widely spoken language within the European Union, with 100 million native speakers. This is followed by French (78 million speakers), English and Italian (around 60 million).

French is a dynamic language within the European Union. The demographic strength of French-speaking countries and France's political influence make French the second most widely spoken language in Europe. French is also taught in many European countries as a foreign language.

Knowledge of French in the European Union

Be that as it may, English remains the most used language within the E.U. It is the first foreign language for 35% of E.U. citizens.

The European Union does, however, promote linguistic diversity. It recognises the dialects spoken by 50 million people which contribute to Europe's colourful heritage.

Contact CG Traduction & Interprétation, the specialist in European languages and dialects (Gallo, Breton, Welsh, Basque, etc.). We will meet all your translation needs!

European translation companies: the latest from the EUATC!

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:39:00 GMT

The EUATC (European Union of Associations of Translation Companies) is an umbrella organisation for European associations of translation companies.

As vice-chairwoman of the EUATC and Director of CG Traduction & Interprétation, a translation company based in Versailles (France), Catherine Granell took part in this key European event. The two-day conference in the heart of the Italian capital provided an opportunity to discuss several issues on the translation industry and the structural organisation of the various associations.

About IFT

The International Federation of Translators (IFT) Interpreters brings together translators, interpreters and terminologists from all over the world. It was set up 58 years ago and comprises 60 national translator associations, 43 of which are European. The ATA (American Translators Association) is an IFT member. The next IFT conference will take place in San Francisco in August and Bucharest is set to play host to the next IFT Europe general meeting in November. The IFT website features the translator code of ethics and a survey on translator working conditions and their rates. The EULITA (Association of Legal Translators) and CIUTI (Conférence des Instituts Universitaires de Traduction) have joined forces with the IFT with a view to implementing an EMT (European Master of Translation). The EUATC chose to work with the IFT to map out a European certification for translators with a view to defining translators' status at European level. For more information, please visit www.fit-ift.org and www.fit-europe.org.

European associations: the latest news

The Slovene association of translation companies comprising 26 members has applied to become a member of the EUATC. Their EUATC application is under review.

The Greek association of translation companies has been dissolved.

The annual EUATC Conference

On 8 and 9 April 2011, Rome played host to the 6th EUATC International Conference

which proved to be an outstanding success, bringing together over 120 participants. The speakers were of a very high standard and dealt with key themes: translator training and automatic translation.

The next conference will be held in Helsinki on 26 and 27 April 2012.

For further information on this event, see the EUATC's website. To find out more about CG Traduction & Interprétation, the CG team or any questions related to translation, interpreting and transcription, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Languages and language courses abroad are enjoying a boom!

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:48:00 GMT

The standard of English of French schoolchildren is often called into question, since it seems to be well below that of their European counterparts. A survey conducted in 2002 of pupils in 7 European countries showed that France’s performance was lower than that of neighbouring countries. For instance, whereas a young Norwegian pupil scores 73.3% for English listening and speaking comprehension and a 82.0% for reading comprehension, a French pupil scores 30.6% and 56.8% respectively (Source: The French Ministry of National Education, Higher Education and Research).

In his capacity as French Minister of Education, Jack Lang once stated, “I am convinced that mastering foreign languages is key to any student’s personal and professional success.”
Teaching foreign languages therefore became a priority for several French Ministers of Education: from Jack Lang and François Bayrou to Claude Allègre and Luc Châtel, the current incumbent.
90% of French schoolchildren choose to study English as their first foreign language when starting secondary school at the age of 11. More recently, following several reforms, languages have also been made accessible to French primary school children. France is therefore following in the footsteps of its Scandinavian counterparts (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, etc.), albeit 50 years later.
There is nothing better for foreign language learners than immersing themselves in the country and culture of the language they are learning. It is a fun, effective and successful way of honing language skills.
Every year, some 130,000 French pupils aged between 10 and 18 set off on extracurricular language courses abroad. The United Kingdom is chosen by a staggering 40% of young people (and their parents), followed by Ireland (28%) and North America (20%). Other destinations such as Spain, Italy, Malta and Australia are less commonly chosen although 9% of children look to combine sunshine and language learning.

In addition to the educational aspect of these 2- to 4-week language courses abroad, the cultural aspect is also very important. Language courses abroad also provide an opportunity to get to grips with a country, revive a love for a language and understand the issues involved in learning a language.
Language learning is a major concern for people of all ages, since 15% of people who take part in this type of programme are over 30 years old! Learning a language while discovering a country and becoming immersed in the culture, is a very exciting way for French people of all ages to bring their language skills up to the level of their European counterparts.

As a leading company for translation and interpreting, CG Traduction & Interprétation strives to promote language learning and language diversity worldwide, with a specific focus on young people.

Translation companies: 2010 overview

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 09:03:00 GMT

The CNET, which has already featured in this blog, is the Chambre Nationale des Entreprises de Traduction, or French organisation for translation companies. Every year, this trade union for professionals conducts a structural survey among translation companies in France.
In 2010, the Observatoire de la Traduction outlined the translation market for 2009, the year following the economic downturn. Below are some key facts and figures.
• Internal operations
- Of the companies polled, 45% of the workforce consists of project managers and 30% of in-house translators. This trend has been increasing since 2007. Translation companies have fewer translators and more project managers.
- Translation companies recruited less than they did in 2007, with only 34% of companies creating positions in 2009.
- Logically, translation companies therefore recruited more project managers (47%) than translators (28%).
• Services provided
- 75% of the services provided are translation services. Interpreting services, which only account for 11%, are followed by DTP, localisation and various other services.
- While the fields of translation and interpreting are extremely varied, technical translation represents the bulk of translations (20%). It is followed by legal translation (15.84%), editorial translation (12.67%), scientific translation (11.76%), tourism translation (11.31%) and medical and pharmaceutical translation (10.41%). All in all, a well-rounded market.

• CAT (Computer-Assisted Translation)
- 86% of translation companies use CAT tools. Trados is used by 61.67% of companies and Déjà Vu, which has already been mentioned in the blog, is used by 20% of them. Translation companies therefore readily use computer-assisted tools.

• Languages
- 48% of companies experienced a significant shift in the language pairs requested in 2009.
- Of the companies polled, 61.54% experienced a drop in requests for translations from/to German and 50% experienced an increase in Russian, English and Chinese.
• Activity
- More generally, translation companies are small companies operating on a human scale (80% post turnovers below €1.5 million) and working at a local level (30% work at an international level).
- 74% of companies intend to increase their turnover in 2010. Translation companies therefore remain optimistic.
- The average number of active clients per company is 252: a figure reflecting the size of companies.
- 30% of companies still rely on their major clients which represent over 20% of turnover. They must continue to develop.
2009 was a difficult year for translation companies, but it was especially difficult for new ones. Well-established companies also had to deal with budget cuts and fight to keep their market share.
It can be noted that translation companies are focusing more and more on their project managers, quality managers and client follow-up. Since companies are more reluctant to increase their workforce, there are fewer in-house translators and more freelance translators.
Later this year, we will present the results of the 2010 Observatoire de la Traduction.